Can A Hairline Be Lowered In A Man?

Q: I have a high forehead along with a long face and I think it would look better if my hairline was brought forward and my forehead shortened. Is this something you could do in a male? I am 27 years old.

A: Shortening the vertical length of one’s forehead can be done by bringing the hairline forward. Much like a ‘reverse browlift’, the hairline is lifted up and brought forward rather than the eyebrows lifted. As a simple variation of the hairline or pretrichial browlift, forehead skin is removed to allow the hairline to come forward into a new and lower position, usually 1 to 2 cms of forehead reduction can be obtained. For women with long foreheads (greater than 7 cms. of length between the frontal hairline and the eyebrows), this is a very effective procedure that may allow them to change their frontal hairstyle afterwards.

In men, however, a long forehead is usually due to a receding hairline. The frontal hairline position in most men is not stable and naturally lengthens with age as hair loss ensues. While a young male does not yet have this problem, and it may not occur in every male, it is impossible to predict which male hairline may or may not recede. If a hairline lowering is done in a man, the scar line will eventually be seen as the hairline recedes later in life. I do not think this is a wise risk to take in just about any male patient.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana